6 Techies on iMessage. What happens next?

No, this is not a funny short on YouTube. We thought it would be a good idea to show you the different features of the new iMessage on iOS 10, so you can have as much fun as us at TechView! Before I begin, I just read a post recently which thought that iMessage lost its simplicity – no doubt it has a lot of features – a platform by itself. However, you can ignore all the new features very easily and still use it like it was, but then where is the fun in that?

The overall feel is the same as before, with a few UI tweaks. You see three icons on the bottom left. Pressing any of them opens a small drawer in the app within the area of your keyboard layout. The camera sign will open the photo library, or allow you to take a picture right away. The heartbeats logo is a bit more interactive, where you can send kisses or pulses, or even draw a quick sketch – a bit like those LED blackboards at fancy coffee houses. The App store icon opens up a drawer filled with, you guessed it, apps you can download from the store. The bottom drawers can be made full-screen by tapping on the Up arrow icon in the right corner.

If you turn your iPhone to landscape mode, a full-screen whiteboard opens up with a few preset messages in languages chosen on your phone.

Now, you can react to messages by holding down on a particular message. The reactions are similar to Facebook, but just different icons. Also, a little useless when not corresponding with another iPhone. Imagine an “HA HA” to my parking ticket reminder!

You can even send messages with an effect now. You hold down on the send key, and you select whether you would like to send it with an effect or a screen.

On the app front, we foresee a lot more developers jumping on the bandwagon offering a variety of apps as iMessage evolves. For now, apart from sending stickers and GIFs, there is a Jib-Jab app (check the video above for some TechView writers’ Jib-Jabs), a gaming app that will take you right back to Yahoo! days. I played a game of pool with Nakul, I lost, but I did not forget a 90’s etiquette “GG” at the end, although I did not begin with ASL?

iMessage has a lot of potential, especially with the apps. I, personally, do feel that the novelty on other features may wear off after a while for most users. Getting used to all the clicks and swipes of using the features on the iMessage is not a piece of cake, but it is a great attempt to make it as intuitive as possible.